Propulsion system



J. W. TATTER PROPULSION SYSTEM June 13, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 17, 1959 FIG.5.

INVENTOR. J O H N W. TATTER ATTORNS J. W. TATTER PROPULSION SYSTEM June 13, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1959 m TR NE ET VT mm w N H 0 0 United States Patent 2,988,038 PROPULSION SYSTEM John W. Tatter, 462 Barr Court, Akron 19, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Lowell E. Engleking, Columbus, Indiana;

and one-half by decree of distribution to Marie W. Tatter and John Wilbur Tatter in equal proportions Filed Aug. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 834,112 4 Claims. (Cl. 115-12) ice partition 31 which defines separate compartments 32 and 33, and a hollow tubular steering member 34 projecting upwardly through the hull 11, the partition 31 also extending upwardly to define separate vertical passages 35 and 36 respectively contiguous with the compartments 32 and 33. The upper end of the tubular member 34 is closed by a cap 37 and annular seal 38, the cap 37 being secured to the upper end of the partition 31 by a screw 39 which also secures the arm 26 to the cap 37 such that lateral arcuate movement of the arm 26 rotates the rudder assembly 27 for primarily steering the boat in conventional manner, the contoured rudder strucsatisfactory generally, and the control of water fiow itself heretofore has been accomplished by means which are too complex and hence too expensive for competing with propeller drive systems.

An object of the present invention is to improve water jet propulsion systems by providing a simplified flow control valve.

Another object of the invention is to improve steering of a water jet propelledboat by providing a novel rudder construction which incorporates the water intake and outlet jet.

A further object of the invention is to simplify water jet propulsion systems by providing a rudder incorporating the water intake and outlet and mounted for simplified connection with the water pump and flow control valve.

Still another. object of the invention is to improve maneuverability of boats by providing means for readily controlling the boat particularly at very slow speeds.

Still another object of the invention is to improve boat performance by providing means for rapidly stopping and reversing without killing the engine.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of a boat embodying a preferred arrangement of the present system.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the rudder and rudder mounting as taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the rudder mounting as taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the rudder as taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a preferred water flow control valve embodied in the present invention, and

FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are cross sectional views showing difierent valve positions and taken substantially on the line (67-8-9)-(67-8-9) of FIG. 5.

A preferred boat 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as having a hull 11 in which is mounted a power plant 12, a water pump 13 driven thereby and having an inlet 14 and an outlet 15 respectively connected by conduits or pipes 16 and 17 to a water flow control valve 18.

The valve .18 is operated by a control lever 19 actuated through a control rod 20 from an operating lever 21 near the drivers seat 22. A steering wheel 23 is preferably connected by means of cables 24 to a link element 25 connected with a control arm 26 by which is operated a rudder assembly 27 shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

The rudder assembly 27 is seen to comprise a hollow vertical contoured rudder structure 30 having a center ture 30 performing the steering function.

The rudder assembly 27 is rotatably supported by a fixture 45 which comprises a cylindrical supporting member 46 closely fitting the tubular member 34 and having an annular flange 47 on a threaded lower end 48 which extends through a hole 49 in the hull 11, the fixture 45 being secured to the hull 11 by a nut 50, with a seal 51 being disposed between the hull 11 and the flange 47.

The fixture 45 has oppositely extending ports 52 and 53 respectively openly connected at all times with the passages 35 and 36 in the tubular steering member 34 respectively through arcuate ports 54 and 55 therein which are of greater arcuate dimensions and the inner openings of the ports 52 and 53 so that, as shown in FIG. 3, the rudder assembly 27 may be rotated to move the partition 31 to either dotted line position without closing communication between the ports 52-53 and the passages 35-36.

The hollow rudder structure 30, as shown in FIG. 4, is provided with ports 60 and 61 open respectively to the compartments 32 and 33 and preferably vertically along the leading and trailing edges of the rudder structure 30 to direct water flow in a direction and a plane substantially common to the longitudinal medial plane of the structure 30.

The ports 52 and 53 of the fixture 45 are respectively connected by conduits or pipes 62 and 63 to the flow control valve 18, as shown in FIG. 1. The preferred construction of the flow control valve 18 is illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 as comprising a casing 65 provided with four equally annularly spaced ports 66, 67, 68 and 69, respectively, adapted for connection at all times with the pump inlet pipe 16, the pump outlet pipe 17, the forwardly positioned rudder fixture pipe 52, and the rearwardly positioned rudder fixture pipe 53. Water flow through the valve 18 is illustrated by directional arrows.

The valve casing 65 has a cylindrical chamber 70 in which is rotatably carried a rotor 71 having an axial passage 72. The rotor is connected for operation to the lever 1'9 by a shaft 73.

FIG. 6 illustrates the neutral operating position of the valve rotor 71 in which the inlet 14 and outlet 15 of the pump 13 are connected through the rotor passage 72 while the connections to the rudder are closed off. Water is pumped from the pump outlet 15 through the pipe 17 to the port 67, thence through the rotor passage 72 out the port 66' through the pipe 16 to the pump inlet 14.

FIG. 7 illustrates the forward operating positions of the valve rotor 71 in which Water is pumped from the forward rudder compartment 32 to the rearward rudder compartment 33, flow through the rotor passage 72 being closed off. Water is pulled into the forwardly disposed rudder port 60 into the compartment 32, through the steering member passage 35 and the ports 54 and 52, thence through the pipe 62 into the valve port 68 and out the valve port 66, and through the pipe 16 to the pump inlet 14. The water is then pumped out the outlet 15 through the pipe 17 into the valve port 67 and out passage '361-into the-compartment *33 and1-out of Ithe; roarwardly disposed rudderport li In efiect, the water is pumped longitudinally: through the rudder structure,

30 for forward propulsion of the boat. In addition to propulsion, the jet flow of water, directed in :a: plane common to the rudder, increases the normal steering:

function of the rudder.

FIG. 8 illustrates. the reverse operatingposition of the valve rotor 71 in which watcrfl'ow'is' reversedr'torpnll= water into the rearwardlyr disposed rudderrport'fl. and.

out the forwardlyw disposed rudder port 60 to propel-.the;

boat in reverse.

FIG. 9 illustrates-the part power operating-position of,

the valve rotor 71- in whichrpart'of the water flow is divertedfor propulsion as described above while'the remainder of the'water flow recirculates' through the rotor passage 72.

vAlthough I have described only one preferred embodiment of the invention; it will be apparent to. one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made, therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a water jet propulsion system fora boat having a power plant, a water pump and valve means for controlling water flow whereby to selectively control said propulsion system for forward, neutral and reverse drive, a rudder structure adjustably supportedby said boat and comprising a hollow vertical structure partitioned. to provide separate water intake and outlet compartments each having an opening to the water, .said rudderiincluding a hollow tubular steeringmember; projecting upward into said boat and longitudinally partitioned contiguously with said hollow rudder structure to provide. passages respectively. open to said compartments, saidboat.

havinga support structure rotatably carrying saidr tubular steering member and having ports respectively open to said steering member passages and connected withrsaid valve means, and means selectively rotating saidsteering member.

2. A water jet propulsionsystem for a boat, comprising a power plant, a water pump driven thereby and having an intake and an outlet, a vertical rudder structure adjustably supported by said boat and comprising a hollow structure partitioned toprovide separate water intake and outlet compartments each, having.;an opening to the Water, andfa valvemeanscontrolling water flow between said. purnpqand said rudder compartments, said valve meansibeing,selectively operable to direct. water; flow to either compartmentand to close. otf'waterwflow to said compartments, said rudder being constructed and ar ranged to direct water delivered to either compartment for water jetpropulsive flow in directions vcoplanar with said rudder.

3. The propulsion system as defined in claim 2 and in which said valve means comprises acasing having two ports respectively adapted for connection at alltimes with the pump inlet and pump outlet,,two"other ports respectively adapted for connection at all times with said rudder compartments, anda valve rotor adjustably supported by said casing and having a transversebore, said rotor being operable to connect said first two ports through said bore while closing off said two other ports for neutral operation and to selectively connectieither of said two other ports with said pump outlet While closing oit said transverse bore to selectively direct'water to and from either of said rudder compartments for forward or reverse operation.

4. The propulsion system as defined in claim 3 and in which said rotor is arranged for selective adjustment in an intermediate position to connect said-pump outlet with said pump inlet through said bore and to, either one of said two other ports for part power operation inrforward or reverse operation;

References .Cited in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,484,075 Otto Feb. 19, 1924 1,721,827 Mauquoi- July 23; 1929 2,154,321 Briggs Apr." 11, 1939 2,310,361 Ford Feb, 9, 1943 

